Genesis 38 Parallel Bible Translations

Genesis 38 ▼
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1 And it came to pass at that time that Judah went down from his brothers, and settled to a man, an Adullamite, and his name was Hirah. It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.
2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a man, a Canaanite, and his name was Shua. And he took her and went in to her. There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and made love to her;
3 And she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.
4 And she conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.
5 And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. And he was at Chezib when she bore him. Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him. She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.
6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7 And Er, firstborn of Judah, was evil in the eyes of YHWH; and YHWH killed him. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD’s sight; so the LORD put him to death.
8 And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to the wife of your brother and perform the dury of a brother-in-law to her and raise up seed for your brother.” Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.”
9 And Onan knew that the seed would not belong to him. And it came to pass, when he went in to the wife of his brother, that he destroyed it on the earth, so that he would not give seed to his brother. But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother.
10 And what he did was evil in the eyes of YHWH, and He killed him also. And what he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death also. What he did was wicked in the LORD’s sight; so the LORD put him to death also.
11 And Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in the house of your father until Shelah my son is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in the house of her father. Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father’s house. Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s household until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s household.
12 And the days multiplied, and Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. And Judah was comforted, and he went up to the shearers of his sheep, he and Hirah his friend, the Adullamite, at Timnah. In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.
13 And it was told to Tamar, saying, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,”
14 And she took off the garments of her widowhood from her, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entrance of Enaim which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown, and she was not given to him for a wife. she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.
15 And Judah saw her, and he thought her for a prostitute, because she had covered her face. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
16 And he turned aside to her by the way and said, “Come now, please, let me come in to you.” For he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give to me that you may come in to me?” He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “And what will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked.
17 And he said, “I—I will send a kid of the goats from the flock.” And she said, “Only if you will give me a pledge until you send it.” He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” “I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” he said. “Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?” she asked.
18 And he said, “What is the pledge that I shall give to you?” And she said, “Your seal, and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” And he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. He said, “What pledge should I give you?” “Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.
19 And she arose, and went away, and she took off her veil from her, and she put on the garments of her widowhood. Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood. After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes again.
20 And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the hand of the woman, and he did not find her. When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her.
21 And he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the temple prostitute—she was in Enaim by the way?” And they said, “There has not been a temple prostitute in this place.” And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.” He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said.
22 And he returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her, and the men of the place said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute in this place.’” So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’” So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’”
23 And Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we become despised. Behold, I sent this kid, and you have not found her.” And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.” Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.”
24 And it came to pass about three months later, that it was told to Judah, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the prostitute, and also behold, she is pregnant by prostitution.” And Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned.” About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.” Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”
25 She was being brought out, and she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Recognize, please, to whom are these—the signet and the cords and the staff.” As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.”
26 And Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, for upon thus I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he did not continue to know her anymore. Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again. Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not sleep with her again.
27 And it came to pass at the time of her giving birth that behold, twins were in her womb. When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.
28 And it came to pass when she was giving birth, that one put out a hand, and the midwife took it and tied on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, “This one came out first.” And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.”
29 And it came to pass, as he was drawing back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. And she said, “How you have burst forth—for yourself, a breach!” And he called his name Perez. But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez. But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.
30 And afterward his brother came out, who had on his hand the scarlet thread, and his name was called Zerah. Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah. Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah.
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